The current immigration debate...This seems to be one of those issues that, once one gets beyond the immediate surface, doesn't clearly hew to party or ideological lines; business-interest conservatives and human rights activist-liberals seemingly on one side, nativist conservatives and some Big Labor liberals on the other, many folks in between, torn...Sadly, too many folks are- intentionally or not- blurring the line between legal immigration and illegal entry. It truly should not matter if these immigrants are from Sonora or Sligo, so long as they enter our country lawfully, legally. In this day and age of terrorism, we need to better determine just who is entering our country, and for what purposes. If folks are able to slip across our border to pick grapes for two dollars a day (or fly into the US and slip into a local immigrant community, be it East LA, Southie, or anywhere in between) what is to say that folks with much more sinister intent could not do the same? Also, there needs to be respect for our laws. Somone whose first act upon stepping on our shores is to break our laws (by entering illegally) is not "playing by the rules," (as the Bay State's senior Senator wrongly characterized illegal entrants.) And while not as big an issue in Massachusetts as in, say, California or Arizona, the social service costs incurred by illegal entrants and their families (education, police, fire, and EMT protection, etc...) are not negligible, nor are they likely to be adequately covered by the few taxes these- largely low-wage earning- folks pay (mainly sales taxes since, being here illegally, they have little means nor incentive to pay federal and state income taxes.) What to do? First- make the distinction in the debate between lawful, legal immigrants (whom we should welcome) and those who enter illegally. Second- yes, increase resources to more thoroughly ensure protection of our borders, by land, air, and sea. Third- expand opportunities for folks to come here to work legally, an expanded guest worker type deal, with the potential of citizenship status if worthy and so desired. Fourth- increase penalties upon both those who enter our country illegally and those who knowingly hire illegal entrants. Both are breaking our laws, both should face the consequences for doing so. Lastly, and the most intractable dilemma currently- what to do about the 11-20 million people already here illegally? Certainly we should not be in the business of rewarding folks for successful illegal behavior. However, the logisitics of determining and deporting that number of people is daunting. Perhaps allow a six-month grace period, whereby (upon meeting certain requirements) illegal entrants would be allowed to apply for legal status; after that point, anyone here and any future illegal entrants, would be subject to more stringent punishment and deportation.
As for tomorrow's proposed "boycott"...like much of the activity undertaken by some illegal immigrants and their supporters, this may well backfire. First- if successful, and certain businesses suffer due to illegal workers staying home, what it will show is that those businesses have flaunted our laws by hiring illegal entrants. They will deserve any loss of revenues they incur, because they chose to employ illegal entrants. And what if it is not so successful? What if the alleged "Day Without- ILLEGAL!-Immigrants" doesn't unduly affect the nation's livelihood? Might one not be somewhat accurate in concluding that illegals aren't as necessary, aren't as vital, after all? And what of any rallies? We've already seen that the Mexican flags so ubiquitous in the earlier rallies, marches, protests, etc... have, after the- deserved- negative criticism, been replaced more and more by the Stars and Stripes. What will we see tomorrow? Will we see people who wish to be involved in the American Experiment while also maintaining their heritage? Or will we see folks demanding that a sovereign nation treat foreign nationals- those who have entered our nation illegally yet- as equals, as citizens, that it is not up to them to join our larger society (by, for starters, obeying our immigration laws), but our society instead must acquiesce?
While it will probably be lost due to emtions running too high on both sides of the issue, ultimately this should simply be about respect for our laws, by those who break them by entering our country illegally and by those who encourage and knowingly hire same.
"We come from the land of the ice and snow/From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow..."
